We students thought it pretty important to think about one of the most critical things facing our generation – our health, our energy, and our youthfulness. We often hear mixed messages about what to do and what not to do. But, you rarely hear or read about the practices of indigenous people. Sometimes we forget to check out history when we try to solve problems. What can we learn from people who were connected to their food, their land, and to each other? What were/are they doing differently? How were they able to avoid some of the common diseases we see in our communities today? There were a lot of questions that we wanted to answer!

Teacher Reflection
I wanted a project that gave students the opportunity to challenge and investigate. But I was amazed at how much students learned during this project. They could identify fat and water-soluble vitamins and share the role that certain vitamins play in the body. This was completely foreign information to them. I really wasn’t sure how they would respond to trying new things like organ meats, kombucha, bone broth, sour dough bread, raw cheese, kefir, sauerkraut, and homemade butter. By the end of the project, students genuinely appreciated these foods (notice I didn’t say they enjoyed eating each of them… yet) and understood why they were valuable to so many indigenous peoples. A year later, I still have students that talk about the project. They share about their learning, and show they continue to investigate matters that are critical to our health.

Student Reflection
Ancient people knew how to prepare foods, and found the best ways to get nutrients from food. —Owen

You should try to stay healthy with the right foods, instead of spending money on medicine with side effects. —Aaron